Shadowed
by ShyWitch88
Summary: Buffy left the world of slaying behind but nothing remains hidden for long. When Willow goes missing, it's up to Buffy to find her, Buffy and someone else she believed she had forgotten. With a new threat looming over their heads, can they pull together? Can Buffy really trust Faith? And can Faith put her demons to bed?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

It had been a while since Buffy Summers felt the race of the slay. The trill of the chase. It had been a while since she had really felt anything decent. With most of her days passed with spying on the potentials progress, sneaking looks at Giles folder to check up on him and with the occasional trip to Angel, Buffy didn't really have much of a thrill of the kill.

Dawn had left for college, her grades were decent and she hadn't hit trouble. Willow was out of reach for two weeks, she decided to go hunting with one of the slayers which was unusual. Willow stuck to the witchcraft and not really the demons.

Then again, Buffy didn't even know who this slayer was.

She stared down at the large wooden table, the windows along the walls brightening up the room yet not doing much for Buffy as her mind continued to ponder further.

Xander had moved to Australia to keep the base going out there and Buffy? Buffy was here in London keeping up appearances with the Watchers Council as instructed. She didn't do much of the fighting anymore, luckily for her, she didn't have too but she still had the weight on her shoulders. She still felt responsible for the lives at risk, fighting the battle which was once hers.

Even though she kept from the scene, Buffy still kept active logs on all the organisations progress. The sneaking around would probably help get her in some trouble though. There were certain people that Buffy didn't need to know about. Xander and Giles were part of that group.

"Buffy Summers?" Buffy straightened her posture as she stood, her slender fingers patting down the rough fizzles on her black pencil skirt. She forced a smile before tucking a strand of straight blonde hair back behind her ear, her green eyes hazed with bordem at what the meeting would hold. "I'm Geffory Crayed. Manager of the demonic research department. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Well...not much of a pleasure really, it's not like I'm royalty or anyth..." Buffy let her words trail off as she looked back up at the stern faced man in front of her, her eyes going wide as she mentally scorned herself for rambling. It had been a while since anyone brought her into a meeting. The last time was when she announced her departure from the slayer organisation.

His British accent reminded her a little of Giles and she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips as he took a seat, opening his brief case while Buffy followed in suit, placing her hands neatly on the table and trying to get a glance at what was in the case.

Her black blazer tugged at the shoulder blades, tightening the white shoulder cut off blouse underneath. Lately she had to change her wardrobe to fit in but it didn't mean she threw away all her favourite tops.

"I understand you are no longer aligned with the slayers?"

"Aligned? I-I don't work for the organisation anymore, no but-"

"Neither does your sister?"

"No she's in college-"

"Your friends?"

"Which ones?"

"Willow Rose-" Buffy cut him short.

"She doesn't work for the organisation. She helps out when asked by Giles or Xander."

"She is where now?" he continued to ask, his grey eyes settling against Buffys, his black hair gilled back almost pulling a frown clear from his face.

"Running a mission for Xander." Buffy replied.

"Right." he mumbled looking down at the documents in his hands. "We have a few disturbances in the area your friend was last located in."

Buffy's eyes had suddenly sprang to life, that feeling sneaking it's way in. It was the same one she had first felt when Xander refused to listen to them about the bug teacher, the same one she felt when Willow ignored their advice on Malcom and the same one when Dawn had her little fling with that vampire. It was worry and instant slayer mode.

"What kind?" she demanded, vulnerability completely wiped from her voice.

It was a glimpse of the slayer she once used to be.

"A uprise of demons. Most were forced underground, now they no longer remain there. There's been sightings of them, most from a conquered tribe thousands of years ago that we believed to be destroyed. Countless murders. There's been shift in power, magick somehow tore the veil apart."

"And Willow?"

"Be don't know. The track we had on her lost it's signal last night. She was last spotted in Detroit before the assembly was risen."

"Assembly?"

"The tribe. They rose there at the exact point that we lost contact with her."

Buffy stared straight at Geffory. Her eyes distant as she bit down on her bottom lip knowing what this meant. If it didn't mean that, then why tell her at all? After all, they all stopped being her business the minute she chose to leave.

"Have you sent anyone there?" Buffy questioned already knowing the answer.

"No ones trained to deal with the tribe Miss Summers."

"Alright. Book me a plane, send me the details I need to know. I'll leave in an hour." She stood leaving him rather stunned as she made her way towards the exit.

"Wait!" He yelled, jumping to his feet. "You can't handle them alone."

Buffy paused, feeling the blood boil inside her. She hated it when people would say that. They should check her background sometime. She handle the world alone although she understood his meaning at the same time. One way or another, her friends were there. She had some form of help but this was Willow. This was her best friend. Nothing would stand in her way from finding her.

"We have someone who will be a large advantage for you. A partner you can work with, who can keep up with your level of skills." Buffy turned to face Mr Crayed again, taking a few steps towards him as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her head to the side with a look of sarcasm.

"And who, exactly would that be?" the door behind her creaked almost if on cue.

"The slayer who was with Miss Rosenburg." Buffy didn't seem impressed until she heard the clicking of heels against the old oak floor, the intense glare at the back of her neck that felt almost too familiar yet she couldn't place a face nor name to it. The slight chuckle had Buffy spinning around to face her new partner only to her eyes widen and her lips drop.

"Hey B. How you been?" that voice. That husky, yet daring voice with that smirk and long dark brown hair falling over her leather black jacket triggered many things for Buffy. Anger was one. She should have known she would be in the mist of trouble. She always was.

"Faith. Fancy seeing you here." Buffy replied allowing her arms to fall back to her side as she forced her sarcasm back into her voice as she repeated Faith's question back. "How you been?"

Faith allowed her smirk to stay placed on her brownish purplish lips, her favourite lipstick.

"Five by Five B."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Faith tapped her foot repeatedly against the carpeted floor, her arms wrapped across her chest as she stared with a frown out the plane window. It annoyed her the fight Buffy put up before finally agreeing to take her help, it was annoying how she had to sit all the way across the plane away from Faith and it annoyed her as hell how Buffy Summers managed to silence her without much of a single word. Faith couldn't really defend herself the way Buffy could, all she had on her side were failed jokes and the fact that she was the last to see Willow before everything went black.

To some extent, Buffy was right. How would that help her anyway?

But Faith saw the Tribe and whither Buffy liked it or not, Faith was the closest match to her there was.

Buffy had skill and so did Faith but Faith was dangerous and that's what set Buffy on edge. It was the experiences she's had with her, they never really ended well. All she wanted to do was find Willow without any added trouble that Faith would surrey provide like always.

Finally having enough, Faith sighed and stood making her way down the plane towards Buffy. She watched the bundle of blonde hair come closer until she paused next to the slayer with a folder open in her hands and her eyes focusing on the information of Faith's last mission trying to find any links.

"Are we gonna be doing this the whole time?"

"Doing what?" Buffy barley mumbled, clearly oblivious to Faith's question.

"Come on B," she muttered taking the seat opposite her and throwing her heeled boots up on the table, her elbow perched on the arm rest as her fingers pressed gently to her forehead, a small smirk growing on Faith's lips as Buffy glanced up at her shoes and then to her in annoyance. She slammed the folder shut, the information pointless and threw it to the side. "Let's kick it like old times."

"You mean before you tried to kill me and my friends? Oh and take over my life?" Buffy titled her head to the side with a smile as Faith's smirk dropped and her eyes blinked repeatedly. Her hand fell back to her black jeans as she glanced out the window feeling the guilt swirl in her chest. She felt like she had all those years, cold and full of regret. You would have thought that she would have learned her lesson by now but somehow, Faith still lingered afraid of change really. She held her old routine because she didn't know any other way. She hurt others because it was the best way to stop the hurt inside her and no matter how many times Angel tried to drill that into Buffy's mind, she would never understand. She didn't care about how lost Faith could be. She never really knew her past, no one did but Faith. Buffy never really knew much about what went on in Faith's mind. She never cared. And Faith was too messed up to explain it.

Sensing the loss in Faith's averted glance, Buffy rolled her eyes. She may be cold towards her but at the same time, she learnt to forgive without really forgiving. "What did these guys look like?"

Faith's eyes shot up to look at Buffy, a moment hesitation before she replied, "Human. At least it seemed like it. They wore thin cloths around their waist, proper native movie looking things. Their faces were covered in white and black stripes. No weapons," Faith's eyes narrowed on something in the distance as she tried triggering the memory in a clearer view. "Wait no...they had these...daggers and marks on their chest. Can't remember exactly what they looked like but they all had them. The ground shook, the wind blowing like crazy, we were almost blown away before they burst through the ground. Tore apart half the camp."

"Where were you guys?"

"Few hours from the main city. A old power plant used to be there. It was torn down a few years ago and since then, it's been a digging site. Willow set up camp a year ago training witches. Then shit started going down and she was sent back to check it out with me. Xander got a report from one of the trainee's telling him about reoccurring dreams that a few of them were having and the constant weather change." Buffy nodded taking the information in. "Any ideas?"

Faith reached for her cigarettes, placing one in between her lips and lighting it as she took a pull and let the smoke twirl from her plump lips. Buffy looked up through the smoke at the girl staring intensely back at her. She caught the glimmer of a spark in her dark brown eyes as Faith took her in and it made Buffy uneasy as she shifted in her seat looking away. Every time Faith stared at her, it would cause a chain reaction in Buffy and it made her hasty to step off the plane with her.

"No not really." Buffy mumbled. "How comes they didn't take you?"

"I don't know. They didn't take any of the training witches either...only Willow." She nodded again before another question pushed at the front of her brain.

"Why did Willow pick you?" Faith couldn't help the chuckle that left her lips.

"Look I know me and the red head haven't always been on the best of terms but after the war, she didn't really have much to hold against me," Faith replied waving her cigarette around with that famous smirk in place. "Besides, with you out of business and me being the rogue agent, I got first picks as the bodyguard."

Buffy remained still. Willow could have called Buffy, she knew Buffy would have said yes but she didn't go further and she didn't let on any sign of disappointment. She didn't want Faith latching on to anything she would think a weakness.

"How's Angel?" Faith asked breaking the silence and only to gain a sharp glare from Buffy. Quickly, she threw her arms in the air with her cigarette still between her lips. "Just asking, no hidden agenda." She pulled the fag from her mouth and drew a cross over her chest, "slayers honour."

Buffy couldn't help the small laugh as she relaxed back against the white leather seats. Her eyes falling out the window again with a small smile on her lips as Faith focused on her with confusion. She always tried to read Buffy and she always failed but since the war, Faith seemed wiser, harsher. She locked onto the lack of trembling lips, something Buffy would have gotten when speaking about him. Was her feelings dying? Were they in the past?

"He's alright. Spending his time with his Son mostly."

"That was creepy." Faith mumbled, her eyes scrunched up at the memory of Corner and the way his eyes had scanned her the first time he saw what a slayer really was. "Angel having a son and all. So was not expecting that. Not to mention he had some freaky ass looks that really set me on edge."

Faith squirmed in her seat, her jacket falling open to show the blood red vest she was wearing. The usual low cut exposing her large cleavage and slipping slightly up her waist to show a flash of skin. Buffy smiled noticing how her dress style hadn't changed much. Then again, by choice neither had Buffy's. At least when she wasn't with the watchers council. She prefered the cosy blue jeans that she was wearing with a pair of black boots and a red shoulder cut off top followed with her favourite brown leather jacket. She liked wearing her hair up with a pin keeping it in place. She liked the comfort of a stake in her pocket and the feeling of cold metal against her ankle from the small dagger Dawn had bought her before Buffy left from her last visit.

"He's that bad huh?"

"Haven't you met him?"

"Haven't stuck around long enough." Buffy mumbled looking down at her lap.

After everything, she thought she would want it. To spend the rest of her carefree days with the love of her life but when she first left, she realised that no matter where she goes, she'll always have responsibilities. Her friends, her sister...everyone. Something would always come up and no matter how many slayers were in play, only she could help. This was a prime example. And Angel? Being with him was great but she couldn't feel the spark in her chest anymore. She couldn't feel much. It was almost like the first time she crawled out of her grave, since the war, she's felt empty. Not relieved, not at peace and not even worried. Just empty.

Perhaps the opposite of Faith.

While she had emptiness, Faith was empty from hope, love and many things but she had an overdose on emotions that played with her mind.

"Hey, we're almost there." Faith spoke up catching the look on Buffy's face. After everything she caused her, she didn't want to push her back. So she hoped it was enough to take her mind from Angel, whatever went wrong there and to some extent Buffy thanked her for it with a gentle nod and a soft smile to follow. Her eyes fixed back at the window as the plane began to descend.

Faith rubbed her cigarette in the ash tray before settling in with the belt tightly wrapped around her waist and her eyes closed, her head pressed back.

Buffy however took the opportunity to stare at the slayer.

Had she changed? A question she asked herself too many times before in the past. So many warnings, so many attempts to save Faith and it all crashed in her face and she wanted to slap herself for asking that same question now, years after the mistakes but one thing was clear to Buffy even if she hated it. She had a weak spot for Faith and she somehow found enough room in all the dispair inside her to let Faith pile on.

It unsettled Buffy yet she couldn't tare her eyes from Faith, even when her eyelids pulled open and she was staring straight into those dark chocolate brown eyes, she couldn't help but ask again,

_Has she really changed?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Faith followed behind Buffy, allowing the blonde to take in the site before her. The destruction echoed throughout the campsite, wired fences torn to the ground with ripped tents floating across the sand. Pulling out a cigarette, Faith lit it in between her lips and stared as Buffy huffed at the sun blaring down at them.

"Was this how you left the place?" Buffy asked, folding her arms across her chest and turning to face Faith.

"Pretty much." Taking another quick glance, Buffy nodded and walked to her side. "We setting up here?"

"That's the plan. Wait until it gets dark and see what nasties wanna pop up at us." Faith didn't argue, she simply dabbed her fag to the ground, crushing it with her boot and followed with a sigh as she helped set up the tents. Andrew had arrived a few hours later with two witches, the best of the crew. They were busy sitting in the far corner chanting with a mystical blue orb around them while Andrew quizzed Buffy on her new life.

He never seemed to lose a beat with the annoying factor but at times, Faith found him rather useful in the amusement category.

The sky had turned a dark blue with steaks of white as the wind threatened to blow harder. Faith remained standing, staring at the empty pit of sand in front of her. How was there no footprints? No clues of any direction they may have taken her?

She remembered the few seconds before the attack and then the shivers that erupted down her spine before the ground took on life of it's own. There were so many, she barely landed a kick to one before she was sent wheeling to the ground. Willow had begun chanting, the wind picking up speed as Faith forced herself to her feet running to Willow's side but her chants had been cut off, Faith was the only thing keeping Willow from blowing away in the wind. Then nothing. It all went black with a piercing scream to the night sky. When she awoke, there was no sign of the redhead, no sign of much but a few limping people.

She didn't understand how it all went down that way, how she wasn't prepared for a surprise attack.

She was the slayer, it was the kind of thing she should have expected.

"And Xander? I heard he's finally leading his own group of potentials. Of course he's got much to learn from me-" Faith's distant glare into the wilderness cut short at Andrew's accent.

"Shut up." She ordered marching towards them. Buffy was perched on her knee's with her hands outstretched to the open fire while Andrew sat on the ground in his knee shorts and open blue shirt with a white top underneath. His hair gelled up, almost like Angels but more of a pathetic attempt. Andrew looked away, muttering under his breath as Faith stood above the fire catching Buffy's glance. "If there was gonna be an attack, it would have happened by now B. Whatever they wanted, it's nothing to do with the territory."

"You think it was staged?"

"They came for the witch." Faith added, her throat slightly dry from the constant cigarettes. She'd never really found herself a chain smoker before. It was one once in a while. Always had been.

Sighing, Buffy looked over to the two witches still chanting, "Do they have anything yet?"

"Don't think so, if they did, they probably would have taken a break. How do you think they do that all day?" Andrew wondered aloud. "I can barley sit still for a second but they haven't moved a muscle-" Andrew's words cut off at the narrowed glare Faith shot him and the raised eyebrow of warning that Buffy gave him.

"In that case, I'll walk around, see if anything unusual pops up." Buffy stood brushing off her jeans.

"I'll come too." Faith added looking once more at Andrew as his lips trembled with a protest that was quickly ignored.

Both slayers walked side by side in silence. Buffy with her stake in hand and Faith with her celtic sword in the other. Giles had provided her with a few nifty weapons while she trained some of his potentials. One was the small red dagger tucked into the band of her jeans on her lower back. The amount of times she's been disarmed, it made sense to keep a few under your clothes. She swung the sword in the air cutting through the wind as her brown hair blew softly back behind her shoulder, the silence getting a little tense for her.

"So you gonna talk or are we gonna be ex-lovers for the rest of the night?" Faith piped up only to have Buffy's eyes widening in shock.

"What?" she muttered until she caught what Faith was meaning. "Oh." The second it took Buffy to register it, was the second it took for confusion to her reaction to hit Faith. "I'm trying to focus."

"No, you're trying to avoid me. Like you've done since I got back from L.A." Buffy couldn't argue with that, so she let her eyes fall to the ground as she crossed her arms again, an action she was getting far to used too, and forced a smile. "Look, I know we haven't had the best time together but that's in the past now B. I've changed,"

"For how long?" Buffy snapped, forcing them both to a stop.

"Excuse me?" Faith spat out, her hands jumping to her chest, "Like you've never made any mistakes"

"I've never tried to constantly attack someone! Everytime Faith, every time there's a small window you don't jump in, no you smash it to pieces and take it all. You've never stopped once to think about what you're doing! You're all about the danger, not about the brains. So yeah, I'm a little frigid towards you because maybe those thought's were in your head when Willow-"

"I tried everything." Faith muttered, her lips barely moving as she felt that cold grasp tighten in her chest. Her mind racing with words that seemed all too familiar to her,

_'We told you she wouldn't understand, we told you she would never accept you.'_

_'What's the point of trying?'_

_'They want a monster, then show them what a real monster is!'_

A few years ago, Faith would have fallen into those words, it's the same thing she always heard before she took the wrong turn but since prison, since Angel, she found away to push them aside, to grip onto something else but that didn't make it easy, it didn't mean that every fiber in her body didn't want to fall into those words.

Buffy stared at the girl in front of her, she saw the tears blue Faith's eyes as she looked away from Buffy. It was rare to see Faith cry, it was rarer to see her try to hold them in and Buffy couldn't help the guilt pinch away at her.

"Faith I'm-"

"No. Forget it B." Faith muttered, forcing a smile. "I'm not like you. I'm not the good girl with the loving friends and mum to back her up whenever she needs. I don't have the hero's willing to die for me and I don't have people willing to give me second chances when I go wrong. I'm the opposite of you and the reason I'm standing here right now, today trying to find Willow is because it's my fault she's gone. And the reason I feel like that is because the one time, the only time someone gave me their hand over and over, showing me they wouldn't give up...telling me I deserved a second change because I'm human Buffy." Buffy stared in shock. She had tried to help Faith but she also gave up on Faith. But Angel? He understood her. "So I'm sorry for everything I did to you."

Faith turned and walked away leaving a stunned Buffy staring after her footprints.

There was a lot of history between them, some that Buffy wished she could forget. Faith proved the most confusing part of her life, she showed her different life and for once she helped her to not feel so alone but at the same time, she screwed it up. She helped teach Buffy a lesson and she never understood what it really felt like, she didn't understand how it felt to die, to be at peace and then torn out to keep doing this curse. She didn't understand what it was like to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. But then, Buffy didn't know what it was like to have Faith's world on her shoulders. She never went through what she had and maybe that's why Buffy felt like was falling apart every time she remembered what happened between them. Maybe that's why Buffy feel's like she has to hide from her. Or maybe it was something else that she didn't understand.

Faith continued on her path until she glanced over her shoulder to see Buffy a mere figure in the distance.

It had been a while since she was caught up in a conversation like that, it was a while since she'd felt those rush of emotions so close to the surface but then again, that was what Buffy always managed to do.

Stabbing her sword into the sand, Faith reached for her cigarettes, lighting another one and taking a long, deep drag before allowing the smoke to gently leave her mouth, as she closed her eyes for a second longer trying to calm the hole swallowing her up inside.

Maybe if she knew...

Faith shook her head, ignoring the voice that took advantage to whisper in her ear.

There was a lot Faith couldn't explain and Buffy was one of those things. Never in her life had she felt the urge to make up to anyone as she had with Buffy. Buffy's opinion, it mattered, Buffy's safety, it mattered. Buffy...

It angered her how she let someone have so much power over her.

"Faith!" Faith spun around to see Buffy's figure flying above the ground before crashing in a whirl of sand. It took her a second to see the three large built figures marching towards her before she dropped her cigarette, grabbed her sword and ran straight at them. It was then that she felt the wind whip at her face, almost as if it were cutting in her flesh, her hair tangling behind her from the force of her speed. The ground had begun to shake, yet Faith had managed to keep her balance, Buffy clearer now as she struggled to get to her feet, staring wide eyed at the three Tribes Men.

Faith's eyes narrowed at them, they looked identical. Shaved heads, tanned skin, same carvings.

Bracing herself for a lunge, Faith hurled her sword to her chest as she jumped into the air, her foot outstretched and meeting the chest of one of the demon's straight on, sending him swirling to to the ground as she quickly gathered herself, spinning her sword above her head as she turned to the other two, circling Buffy. She wrapped both hands around the handle of the sword and with a smirk, she lunched it behind her feeling it cut straight through thick skin.

"Come and get it boys," she muttered, watching as they hesitated, their eyes black orbs before a growl filled the air and they rushed over, leaving Buffy to gather herself as the ground stopped shaking and the blond lunged herself at the back of one of the demons. She wrapped her arms around it's neck, her legs around his waist forcing him to stumble backwards. She opened her eyes, watching as Faith brought her fist up just in time to meet the other demon's face, she took the opportunity to launch more attacks. Satisfied that she had it under control, Buffy let her arms go as she jumped back to the floor allowing the demon to spin around to face her.

It reached for it's dagger strapped to its chest and slashed it straight at Buffy only to miss by a cm as she jumped back, shocked at first at the close contact.

"This jacket cost a lot of money buddy," she whispered only to be returned with nothing. "Really? I'm talking to someone with only a thin strip across his naughty parts about clothes. Show's how much the hellmouth screwed with me."

She fell to her knees and tore the dagger Dawn had got her before doing a quick backflip, her heels hitting him and distracting him only for a second before she flew straight at him. Her punch wasted as it met his chest. She felt the pain echo through her wrist as she hit the ground with a moan. Her dagger slipping from her hand but as she opened her eyes, her throat had been seized and her feet were hovering above the ground.

"Faith..." she whispered, her voice cut off as she tried kicking.

Faith had been thrown to the ground, her stomach punctured by the dagger in a manner of a line of a small scratch. She ignored the sting getting to her feet only to feel the skin on her lip tare as she was thrown back to the ground with a stern punch to the mouth.

"Son of a bitch!" she groaned, her hand touching her jaw before Faith felt her body go cold. Her blood pumped throughout her body and for a second, everything went quiet in her mind apart from the anger that turned her body into a rocket as she jumped to her, her arms swinging about always connecting with a part of his body. She allowed to room for him to move as she pounded him. Jumping into the air, his face connected with her foot sending him to the ground and giving her time to reach her sword. She lifted it high about her head, the blood still pumping cold thrill through her but it was easing, the heat returning as she grinned and brought the sword down straight through his skull. "Gottcha."

"Faith..." Her head snapped to Buffy hanging like a rag doll. She pulled her sword from his skull and raced towards him only to watch the demon's dagger stab Buffy's shoulder. Faith heard her cry echo through her ears and she sped up, her sword whirling in the air as she jumped once more, the demon caught off guard as it sliced straight through his neck.

Buffy's body fell to the ground and as soon as Faith had landed on her feet, she raced to her side, her sword resting near her legs as she placed one hand on Buffy's stomach and the other on her forehead. "B? Are you okay?"

"I'm...Fine..." she mumbled, her eyes crunching up in pain. Faith helped her sit up, already panicking at the blood and the dagger still sticking from Buffy's shoulder.

"We should go back to camp...Andrew-"

"We don't have time. Those holes," Buffy pointed at an open hole in the ground oblivious to Faith's worried expression. "They came from there, it'll close soon. The other two did. We have to go. Don't think we can...take another attack...anytime soon."

"Yeah I agree but B, what if there's an army down there?" Buffy looked up at Faith's unsure face.

"Then we bring them a war." Faith looked up, she could see three figures rushing towards them. Andrew and the witches were fine and Buffy was right. They couldn't wait for another attack to get this opportunity. There weren't any clues because maybe there were underneath them. "If there were more...they would have...attacked us by now."

Again she had a good point.

Faith grabbed Buffy's arm, leveling her up to her feet and throwing her arm over her shoulder, holding her weight to her side as she carried them to the edge of the hole. The sand was moving across it, swallowing it back up to nothing but a spotless floor. Turning to face Buffy, Faith smiled, her arm tightening around Buffy's waist. "Ready for another one B?"

Buffy returned the smile, "Always."

Faith took one last look at the sky before she jumped in, taking Buffy with her and shifting her around so both her arms were tightly wound around her so that Buffy would land on top of her. Faith moved one of her arms to Buffy's head as the sand covered up the sky and cold, darkness erupted around them until all feeling left Faith and she was swallowed completely into the two things she feared the most.

Darkness and her own mind.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four It took a moment for Faith to gather her bearings. The darkness loomed over her before a flicker of yellow light came into view. She moaned as she twitched her fingers feeling the mud underneath her before she eased her weight on her arms sitting up and taking in the space around her. Nothing. Just mud walls and an empty space, hollow and rather thin spread out in front of her. She couldn't tell where the glow came from. Magick obviously but she didn't understand and she didn't try to. Instead, Faith's eyes snapped imdeiatley to the ground again, her head snapping side to side in panic, "Buffy? Buffy!" she turned onto her knees, searching the place. The glow was dim, barley enough to see so Faith stretched her hands out hoping to feel the blonde on the ground. There was no reply. "Buffy! Come on where the hell are you?!" She heard a stifiled groan and paused, she held her breathe for a second trying to stay in complete silence and focused. She heard it again and within a second, she had jumped to her feet and ran to the noise. Buffy was sprawled on the ground, face up with her hands by her side as she groaned, her eyes still shut and twitching from the pain. The wound in her shoulder was bleeding, dappening her jacket. The impact of the ground against Faith must had caused Buffy to roll off to the ground, either way, she had less harm done to her then to Faith. "You okay?" Faith asked kneeling down to Buffy's level. She placed one hand on the other slayers arm, staring her straight in the eyes as the blonde slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the light as they wondered around Faith's head. Her thin lips parted but Faith already knew what the questions would be. "Underground and I have no clue. It's just a glow. Let's not drag science into this. Wasn't really good at school." Buffy looked at her for a second before she eased herself up, the pain stronger. It was a simple stab wound to the shoulder yet it caused Buffy more pain around her body then a full stab to the gut. She pressed her fingertips to the side of the cut, flinching in pain. "This was my favourite jacket." Buffy mumbeled with a frown before she took Faith's arm, evening her up to her feet. "Bet you've lost tons of favourite things." Faith replied, her eyes avoiding Buffy's stare. "We should walk down here anyway. Only rouit left to take. Might find your red head." "Or walk straight into those tribal demon thinges." "Or that." Regardless, Faith reached for her sword, dusting the mud off the handle and holding it in her hands. Buffy removed the spare dagger she had attached to her body and held it tightly to her leg. It was the last weapon she had and she wasn't eager to lose it anytime soon. The two slayers walked side by side, Buffy feeling her hand tingling with pinches of pain spreading down her arm. She shook the pain and focused on the darkness that illuminated only slightly. "You think you can fight?" Faith asked in a whisper, her eyes never leaving the narrow path before them. "Don't really have a choice." Faith shrugged at Buffy's response but felt the silence nipping away at the back of her neck. She never liked the silence between them. Usually it was all Faith craved but with Buffy, it was simply awkward and it had her on edge. She could be thinking anything. She could be thinking Faith would turn on her. She could be planning anything. Faith cleared her throat hoping it would trigger some sort of response from Buffy but when it didn't, Faith felt the corner of her lips dip down slightly. She felt her heart drop a little more but she ignored the reasons flushing in as to why she felt that way. "Never too late to be doomsday." Buffy mumbeled finally. They'd been walking for over an hour and Buffy could feel her energy draining, quicker then usual. Her shoulder had turned numb and it felt now as though she had been stabbed in the leg. The more she tried to ignore it, the harder it pumped to the point that the Slayer fell to her knees, her hands hitting the ground trying to keep her evened from face planting the mud. "Buff?" Faith asked the minute she saw her dip from the corner of her eye. Faith paused, her face worried but she tried to keep her actions limited. "You okay there?" "Yeah just..." Buffy's words cut off, her eyes slamming shut within a second as her throat constricted and her whole body turned completely numb. "Buffy..." "I said I'm fine!" "Actually...you didn't." Buffy looked up through the straight knots of blond hair, her eyes in a state of warning but not before long, Faith felt the air thin, her chest tighten as she tried to suck in the oxygen. Buffy's eyebrows rose, watching as Faith's face suddenly turned to panic. It was then that Buffy's body returned it's feelings and her chest had suddenly tightened, lack of oxygen clear. Faith's grasp around her sword was loosening as her other hand wrapped around her neck. "Air..." she whispered, "It's not...we need..." "We have to go." Buffy forced out, every second getting worse but just as Buffy braced herself to stand, Faith tumbled to her knees for very different reasons to Buffy. There was no pain for Faith apart from the lack of oxygen. She was panicing. Buffy reached her hand out placing it on Faith's arm. "Don't panic, you're...m-ma..." Faith's mind raced, fear grasping her heart as she tried to breathe, it felt like a lock around her organs and she could rejester anything. Buffy gathered her bearings, she pushed the pain suddenly pulsing from her wound again and stood, she yanked Faith to her own feet and slipped her hand down into the slayers, their fingers intwineded as Buffy jolted into a run, Faith right by her side. They could have gone back but something told Buffy to run forwards and throughout all her years of fighting, she'd learnt to never turn her back on her guy instinct. "B-Buffy..." Faith forced out, her face almost blue. "K-k-keep...g-g-going..." Buffy gasped. Faith's grip on Buffy's hand tightened, a sense of calmness almost touching her but the fear she felt now was unbelievable. She never welcomed death, she feared it but she faced death everyday. What made this different was the memories that came with it, the phobia's she held. Their feet padded hard against the ground, oxygen never fazed them while they were walking. Somehow they thought magick would cover it all but something about that spot changed it all. Faith could feel her legs give way, her brain shutting down and Buffy was no better but through the dim light, Buffy's eyes narrowed at the chalk scattered in a line a few feet ahead of them. She pointed ahead, unable to talk trying to keep as much air as she could. When she looked over her shoulder however, Faith was almost failing, her eyelids hovering closed. Buffy felt her heart race within a second, not from the race or death or anything. She couldn't understand it but she'd felt it so many times before when someone she cared about was in danger. Yet since the hellmouth, she'd never felt it for Faith, or she'd never allowed herself too. Buffy didn't dwell on the feeling, she wrapped her arms around Faith, dragged her as much as she could as close as she could to that line and paused. She gathered all her strength and threw Faith to the ground before taking a leap herself and the minute she had hit the soil on the otherside, her eyes widdened and she gasped, gulping the air in and feeling her body relax. "We're okay." Buffy breathed but when she didn't hear a response from Faith, her head turned to the side to see Faith on her back, her body still and her eyes closed. She sat up. "Faith?" She tuched the side of Faith's neck hoping to feel a pulse but when nothing accured, she felt the panic rise around her. "Faith!" she placed her hands above Faith's chest ready to pump and braced her strength to a decent level. She then parted Faith's lips, lowered her own but the minute they touched, Faith's eyes burst open, she took a gasp almost draining Buffy of her own air causing her to throw herself backwards. "Okay thanks for stealing my air." Faith sat up, her lungs draining in the air around her. Her lips tingled slightly but her mind raced to quick to rejester that. Her breathing never calmed and Buffy's eyebrows rose once more. "Faith?" Faith's arms clutched her chest as tears braced the corner of her eyes. "Faith it's okay...we're fine..." Buffy crawled over to Faith's side, shocked at the slayer. "Faith, calm down." Faith looked into Buffy's eyes, she took in her words and let her breathing calm, she let the fear trumple to a stop as her mind calmed and once she felt like the memories had finally hidden back behind their wall, Faith stood, Buffy following. "You okay?" Buffy asked, hoping that would be enough to get Faith to explain that reaction. Faith's face took back it's usual stance. Hidden. Black. Faithless. "Five by Five." 


End file.
